Remi’s life didn’t start out too great. The 1-year-old Belgian Malinois mix had been left in a field with her mom and siblings. She needed a little luck and a lot of TLC.
Luckily, The Labelle Foundation stepped in to save the sweet pups, and in a matter of weeks, Remi found her forever home — with a big star.
“There were eight pups and their mom, who gave birth in a field, and they were rescued about two weeks later,” Taylor Lautner, Remi’s dad, told The Dodo. “An amazing foster took in the mom and all eight puppies even though she had a dog herself. We got [Remi] as soon as we could, at 10 weeks.”
The “Twilight” star already had one dog, Lily, with fiancée Taylor Dome when she suggested adopting another dog.
“It was a no-brainer for me,” Lautner said. “Tay sent photos of [Remi] and her story about being abandoned and I knew I had to get her right now. It’s been the best year of our lives — she’s a dream dog.”
Not only did Remi complete his family, but she also fueled his passion to advocate for all the shelter pets in need of a forever family. Now, Lautner is a part of this year’s Hill’s Clear The Shelters campaign to encourage prospective pet owners to adopt a furry friend in need.
“There are so many amazing foundations and shelters out there,” Lautner said. “I encourage people, if you’re ready to take that next step to be a pet parent, go to a local shelter and adopt.”
Both dogs are “Team Jacob,” naturally, but it’s Remi who gave Lautner something he didn’t know he needed: a renewed appreciation for life.
“I wish I could live life more like Remi does,” Lautner said. “You see how thankful [shelter pets] are, how loving they are. It’s an extra-special bond. I want to do that for other people like Remi does for me.”